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ENGLAND WIN BY 347 RUNS

19.00 Right, that's all from me today. What a fantastic match......if you're English. In many ways it's a shame that this was such a one-sided match, but that's life and there's no use home fans being bashful about that thumping victory. Just enjoy it! We'll back on August 1 for the third Test but until then thank you for all your emails and banter over the last few days. Until then...

18.56 Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you will have to wait until August 1 for your next slice of live Ashes cricket. Here's the schedule:

18.52 What do we make of that then? England pretty rampant? Australia pretty woeful? Rain clouds and a reverse heatwave the only thing to prevent a 5-0 whitewash in the series?

OVER 91: AUS 235 (Harris 16*)

WICKET! Pattinson lbw b Swann 35 Swanny gets his man! A nailed-on lbw! Pattinson looks furious but the reality is that's he out and England have won this Test match. See, even Hawk-Eye agrees:

OVER 90: AUS 235/9 (Pattinson 35* Harris 16*) Stuart Broad has decided to go round the wicket in pursuit of that elusive final Australian wicket. No breakthrough but at least he helped the Australians score their first runs in age. Four of them in fact. Single from Harris off the last ball, which means Pattinson will face Swann at the end of the last over.

OVER 89: AUS 231/9 (Pattinson 34* Harris 13*) Graeme Swann is doing some extensive stretching exercises ahead of his introduction to the attack. He'll have to be sharp to get the last wicket......almost as sharp as you lot, who spotted I got the wrong side up when making my toast analogy. Maiden from Swann.

OVER 88: AUS 231/9 (Pattinson 34* Harris 13*) That sound you can hear in the background is several thousand cricket fans packing up their hamper. as they resign themselves to this match going another day. First decent ball in an age as Broad sends a delivery whisteling past the edge of Harris's blade. Lovely stuff from Broad but still no breakthrough, or hint of one.

OVER 87: AUS 231/9 (Pattinson 34* Harris 13*) In the pantheon of really irritating things (I mean toast landing butter side down, you just missing a bus, those kind of things) where does a pair of tail-enders defiantly batting it out when they have no chance of winning and you just want them to clear off rank? Maiden over from Bresnan.

OVER 86: AUS 231/9 (Pattinson 34* Harris 13*) Broad then as England desperately attempt to get this last wicket of this, as ever, plucky final Australian partnership. No breakthrough for the big blone and this stat really says it all:

<noframe>Twitter: Mohandas Menon - Aust may be on the verge of losing their 6th consecutive Test. However their last pair has so far put on 453 runs @ 45.30 <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=Ashes" target="_blank">#Ashes</a> <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=EngvAus" target="_blank">#EngvAus</a></noframe>

OVER 85: AUS 230/9 (Pattinson 33* Harris 13*) LBW appeal from Bresnan as he bowls to Harris but it looks outside the line, is outside the line, and is, as a result, not given. No further action in that over and it ends in a statisically-cheering but utterly pointless maiden from Breslad.

OVER 84: AUS 230/9 (Pattinson 33* Harris 13*) Hi guys, Pearce here for the final half-hour that the English have requested. As a fan of results I'd quite like this to end tonight. But what about all those day five ticketholders? And what about the financial boon for the MCC of hosting said day? Don't we want the extra investment into English cricket that the sale of all those rose champagne magnums wll bring in? This partnership will make it a five-day match if they carry on at this rate. They move to 38 no after three runs from Harris, who directs the ball behind square on the leg side for more runs.

OVER 83: AUS 225/9 (Pattinson 33* Harris 9*) The last scheduled over of the day is bowled by James Anderson. Patto tucks him away for four. We will have 30 minutes or eight overs, whichever takes longer. Nick Pearce will take it home....

OVER 82: AUS 220/9 (Pattinson 29* Harris 8*) Swing for Broad with the new ball. He clangs Pattinson on the pads with his first delivery, but Umpire Dharmachameleon reckons it was swinging down leg. Which: okay. Aussies set off to run some legbyes, England throw at the stumps and give away four vital overthrows that will surely cost them the Ashes. Two nice shots from Pattinson out into the covers, both for two runs. Playing well. Like all these Aussies, he can bat. Apart from the batsmen, obviously.

OVER 81: AUS 208/9 (Pattinson 21* Harris 8*) Anderson. Harris pokes one out to point for a couple. Now a full, swinging ball from Jimmy, a massive heave from Ryan Harris! The four slips thought they were in business there. There are two more overs left of the day's play but England get an extra half an hour to see if they can polish off this final wicket.

Cam says: "We don't need umpires. DRS can do the whole thing. If somebody is out, a klaxon will sound, we all glance at the big board... "OUT LBW" and off goes the batter. Instant "No Ball" calls giving batsman the chance to swing at it. Anybody who is out will really be out, and anybody who is not out, well, you get the idea. There would be an off-field umpire to examine unfair play, like blocking, and he would have a microphone to keep sledging within limits."

Mick Smith also has a suggestion: "Must say I'm getting thoroughly sick of all these Aussie batsmen scurrying off because they're slightly out. England should be getting them slightly out time and time again until finally the umpire raises the finger of mercy. And even then Cook should be able to review it in order to continue the humiliation."

OVER 80: AUS 205/9 (Pattinson 21* Harris 6*) Ooo! Swann gets Harris to edge a ball that doesn't turn much, it flies very quickly between keeper and slip. It was really travelling, no shame in missing that. Anyhow, it looks like we are going to take the new ball.

Peter Harris: "A den of thieves, a nest of vipers, a school of whales and a battery of Australians."

OVER 79: AUS 200/9 (Pattinson 20* Harris 2*) Six runs in this over, the Aussies are able to rotate the strike, think that is the way to go rather than allowing Anderson to pick and probe at one man for six balls. Nice drive from Patto for three.

OVER 78: AUS 194/9 (Pattinson 16* Harris 0*) Just a couple off Swanny, big LBW shout against Pattinson but the umpire I guess feels that it was bat-pad not pad-bat.

WICKET! Siddle b Anderson 18 Awww, Jimmy Anderson. Awwww, Poidersiddle. Sidds has fought like a vegetarian tiger for 62 balls, but there's no playing that. Quick ball, reverse swings in late, keeps a tiny bit low possibly, trapping Siddle on the crease and he is castled by a beauty. FOW 192/9

Anderson now hits last man Ryan Harris on the pads playing back, umpire Erasmus says no, it would maybe just have clipped the top of the stumps. An edge nearly travels to Root in the gully and England are on the brink.

OVER 76: AUS 192/8 (Siddle 18* Pattinson 14*) Just one off the Swann over.

Marc Melander: "Whilst your devoted fans (Betyers?) appreciate how vexing all this extra graft must be for an already overworked and underpaid journobloggist DO I DETECT AN AIR OF SARCASM MR MELANDER? it has added a new dimension to the much maligned five day game and surely one that is going to bring more fans on board ? It's sort of adding the technology bit from Hit and Giggle to the purer form of the game. And on a less serious note can you imagine the pickle Thom Gibbs will be in if they ever introduce a DRS type affair to football. He'll still be blogging 2 hours after the final whistle has blown !" I do take your point. I can see why people like the DRS. Correct decisions are generally better than wrong ones. But I rather find it sucks drama out of the sporting moment, and puts it onto procedural nit-picking. That's all.

OVER 75: AUS 191/8 (Siddle 17* Pattinson 14*) This Australian pair, as has been the way in this series, showing their colleagues further up the order the virtues of patience and knowing when to leave the ball outside off stump. Siddle gets one off the inside edge, Patto then leaves a good over from Jimmy Anderson outside off.

Guy Perry: "The job isn’t done yet. We should stop pats on the back until we get the vital third Test win. Australia came close to victory at Trent Bridge and threaten to come back with a vengeance. Beware the wounded wombat."

OVER 74: AUS 190/8 (Siddle 16* Pattinson 14*) Swann tossing it up with lots of dip and asking Pattinson if he wants to have a go. Pattinson does not want to have a go and it is a maiden.

Andrew Holgate: "Earlier this week, my schizophrenic side published a Tweet about Alan Tyers. Like everyone, he is entitled to his opinions but I want to state categorically that I do not endorse his comments and fully support Alan and all his team mates."

OVER 73: AUS 190/8 (Siddle 16* Pattinson 14*) James Anderson comes on to see if he can finish this off before a new ball becomes available. This stand is worth 28 and I am getting a tiny bit concerned about having to come back tomorrow for a rather anticlimactic two overs....

Jon Horsley writes from Lord's: "Nobody in the ground has any clue about the decisions now. Total confusion."

OVER 72: AUS 188/8 (Siddle 15* Pattinson 13*) Ooh, chance! Pattinson edges Swann to Anderson at gully, it goes very quickly and is a tough chance. Jimmy does well to get a hand to it and nearly palms it to Trott at slip. Now Siddle comes down the pitch and whacks the ball past Swann's left hand for four. The target is now below 400 and Australia are just a Poidersiddle 285* from a fine win.

OVER 71: AUS 181/8 (Siddle 9* Pattinson 12*) Quick single for Siddle off Broad, a direct hit from sub fielder Chris Taylor at cover would have been interesting.

Colin Whiting: "I'm familiar with horse-racing's 'by a distance' and a political 'landslide' election victory. I understand the impact of 'By an innings and... runs' and 'having followed on' in cricket. Just wondered if there were official criteria for 'a spanking' in cricketing terms, and if so, when does it blur into 'a humiliating demolition'?"

<noframe>Twitter: Dave Tickner - England winning easily and now no DRS. It's like playing India.</noframe>

OVER 69: AUS 174/8 (Siddle 7* Pattinson 7*) Two LBW shouts in the Broad over against Siddle. The first, England decide not to review, and rightly so because that is going down leg. The second is a better shout. Sidds padding up to a ball that reverse swings in from outside off stump. Given not out. England review. It's shown to be just clipping the outside of off stump and, as such, the umpire's decision stands and England lose their last review. That was the last ball of a maiden over. No DRS for the rest of the match, hooray.

OVER 68: AUS 174/8 (Siddle 7* Pattinson 7*) Sidds - who was, let's remember, pretty much Australia's best batsman on their tour of India - is keeping Swann at a bay for now. Turns Swann for a two and a one. Just 409 needed for a famous victory.

OVER 67: AUS 171/8 (Siddle 4* Pattinson 7*) Broad tries to sort Patto out with a yorker but the tailender remains firm. Time for drinks. Boy, all this DRS stuff makes this blogging business really hard. At least in the old days you got a moment's respite when there was a wicket - now that's when the real drama and aggro begins! Did he hit it, was there a mark, what's the noise, which umpire decided what, who overturned whom, were they right to, he said she said blah.

Few more of your emails on the latest batch of dodgy decisions... Ian Pestell: "Generally, when Prior is that certain it’s out, it usually is, and he was pretty certain with Agar’s wicket." Stu says: "Pretty sure hotspot shows the faintest of touches on the front of Ajar's bat to go with the noise snicko shows" but I am sorry to say that he's simply wrong: there is not a Hot Spot mark on Agar's bat. Anyhoo.

OVER 66: AUS 171/8 (Siddle 4* Pattinson 7*) Swann is all over these tailenders. Pattinson edges Swann wide of gully, Anderson cannot get there and it's not really a chance. Strangled appeal as Swann hits Sidds on the pads, not out, but then in this series I guess that's a relative term...

Ed Stokes: "I know everyone keeps slating CA and their slightly indiscreet tweets, but it's the most exciting cricket related activity the Aussies have got up to in the last five days." Graeme: "Hi Alan, blow the garden, your blog is much more fun and I can do the gardening tomorrow when there's no cricket. Oh bother, it's Monday! Anyway if the two Aussie innings total less than our first innings could we claim that we won by an innings and the difference in the runs between our first and their two?" Alas no.

Gavin Broad: "It's only a Jack when it's on a jackstay Sir. Otherwise, it's the Union Flag." Ah, flag chat. I love flag chat. Phil says: "Hey Australia! Can we play you every week please?" And Marc Melander says: "Cricket Australia are kidding nobody - they admitted yesterday that 'multiple users' could post on their CA twitter feed. How do we know that this latest gloppy tweet is not from Shane Watson's mum ? I think CA need to review the situation. Oh wait...."

OVER 64: AUS 165/8 (Siddle 4* Pattinson 1*) Two off the Swann over. Oh no, and to further heap misery on Aussies, I hear that the Hawk Eye shows Haddin's dismissal might have gone on to miss the stumps!

OVER 63: AUS 163/8 (Siddle 3* Pattinson 0*) Everyone in English cricket loves Joe Root, bar one man. Well, two, if you count Nick Compton. Stuart Broad needs one wicket for 200 in Tests, he finds the edge of Siddle's bat, it flies to Root at third slip - but he's dropped it! All happening in this over, Siddle very nearly run out going for a quick single, but Bairstow misses with the effort from point.

OVER 62: AUS 162/8 (Siddle 1*) That came off the last ball of the over. On the brink now...

WICKET! Haddin lbw b Swann 7 Bowling Swanny! Good delivery, hits him on the pad offering no shot. Pitched straight from around the wicket, Haddin didn't really get that right at all, just padded up to it and that's FOW 162/8

OVER 61: AUS 160/7 (Haddin 6* Siddle 1*) Turning from the really important business of what someone's brother typed into a phone and whether or not a thermal imaging camera correctly detected a faint mark, I'd just like to make a minor point: ENGLAND ARE BURYING AUSTRALIA IN A LORD'S TEST. Stuart Broad comes on to see if he can finish things off. Beats Sidds with a nice late away nipper, but some of the over is too wide.

16.35 From the official Cricket Australia website: CA was requested earlier today by David Warner's management to distribute the following statement on his behalf: "Earlier this week, my brother Steven Warner published a Tweet about Shane Watson. Like everyone, he is entitled to his opinions but I want to state categorically that I do not endorse his comments and fully support Shane and all my team mates."

OVER 60: AUS 159/7 (Haddin 5* Siddle 1*) Swann rattles through a quick over to Haddin, who gets a single off the outside edge off ball five.

OVER 59: AUS 158/7 (Haddin 4* Siddle 1*) Maiden from Bres to Sidds. All heart, all the time. I reckon that'll be the end of TT the B's spell.

Tone: "I didn't want to join the discussions on third, fourth, fifth umpires, replays, foreplay, or anything else, but, I'd rather have debates, even fights about on-field decisions in the pub afterwards than the same about on-field, off-field, video, auditive, tactile, psychosematic or any other decisions. Finger up or finger down, and everyone shuts up. But then, I was an O level/A level guy, no GCSE bargaining!"

Phil Whithair: "There is one point that may have escaped most peoples notice, and that is we could claim 20% of their score as 20% of their flag is the Union Jack."

OVER 58: AUS 158/7 (Haddin 4* Siddle 1*) Now Swann does come on to replace Root. Siddle goes for a sweep, unwisely, and is lucky that the top edge lands safe.

OVER 57: AUS 156/7 (Haddin 3* Siddle 0*) Bresnan plugging away and there's just one off the over. Good spell this, Big Bres has had a decent match.

Marc Melander: "As Australia was once an English colony one imagines they have the deed poll system to change your name? I can see Haddin's agent applying to have his changed to 'Haddit' if he fails to score some runs here."

OVER 56: AUS 155/7 (Haddin 2* Siddle 0*) Single for Haddin off Root. Having now seen the Snicko, it would seem that there was a noise as the ball passed the Agar bat.

OVER 55: AUS 154/7 (Haddin 1* Siddle 0*) Irrelevant in the context of the game, but still upsetting for Agar. Earlier in the over, he'd steered a couple of nice shots behind point for fours.

WICKET! Agar c Prior b Bresnan 16 Agar swings at wide Bresnan delivery, Prior gathers and England seem absolutely certain that this is out. Not so Umpire Erasmus. He gives it not out. England review. Nothing on Hot Spot that I can see. The word from the third umpire is that there is a big noise and a deviation. Decision overturned and Agar has to go. He does not look happy AT ALL. I sympathise with him, I certainly didn't see anything to suggest that the onfield umpire had made a bad mistake. FOW 154/7

OVER 54: AUS 146/6 (Haddin 1* Agar 8*) Root continues. I think that collision with Usman has done Swann no good, wonder if that is why the junior spinner is bowling. Or maybe Cook feels, reasonably, that the force is with two-wicket Root and he might get another? Maiden.

OVER 53: AUS 146/6 (Haddin 1* Agar 8*) Two boundaries to Agar. First a thick edge that goes wide of second slip. Not to go all Botham, but surely they can afford to pack the slip cordon to a tailender on nought, chasing 447? Genuine shot the next ball, though, a nice drive through point off a wide one.

Graeme: "Gosh Alan, I come back in from the garden and another three down! Shall I go out again and see if it works for a third time? By the way you need to have a chat with Nick Pearce. Since when did the word 'spin' need to be asterisked out? "Prior really likes the look of Swann's fifth ball 'loving that s---' he tells the spinner"

OVER 52: AUS 137/6 (Haddin 0* Agar 0*) Bye brings Agar on strike. Root is ripping the ball out of that rough, turning it away from Agar. Prior's earning his money keeping to these.

OVER 51: AUS 136/6 (Haddin 0* Agar 0*) Bresnan has two slips, a gully and a short extra as he deals to Agar, who blocks the one remaining ball of the over. The infamous Cricket Australia twitter feed is at it again, on the subject of the Smith wicket. Apparently unable to see what everyone else could.

15.52 Players are back out. Come on Aussies! Just another 447 needed. England have one review left, Australia none. Bresnan to complete his over.

Ken Andrew: "I presume if Gavin is watching the match in a pub with the TV sound turned down he must be somewhere in the vicinity of Earl's Court." Colin Whiting joins in the Aussie bashing: "Menu for the Australian team at tea: Wobbly jelly a la Agar? Custard le Clarke? Smiths in Blankets? Watson in the Pan?"

15.45 So an early tea, and it is I, Alan Tyers to take you through until the close of play. Poor old Aussies. Clarke and Khawaja put up a fight for much of that session but it's all forgotten now. Joe Root broke the partnership by shifting Clarke, and then put the cherry on the top of his great match by shifting Khawaja as well. Bresnan then chipped in with the wicket of Steve Smith and, albeit that the Aussie tail has shown heart and fight so far in the series, all the indications are that this is going to be done and dusted tonight.

15.42 A mail from Gavin, to which my response is: There's definitely a smudge of white there. Tell the pub to get HD!

Just watched the review of the Smith dismissal. Ok, in a pub with no sound, but hotspot showed nothing that I could see. Just me?? Anyway, one less Crim. ;-)

15.41 So, one session left today. Australia need 447 runs to win (hahaha, no come on we've got to write that), while England need just four wickets to go 2-0 up in the series.

OVER 50.5: AUS 136/6 (Haddin 0*) Bresnan to have a go at these two new men at the crease, then. The big northerner is grinning away as he gives Smith a working over. Bresnan's got Smith caught! Has he? I think so! Yes, finger goes up! But Smith reviews it instantly!

WICKET! Smith c Prior b Bresnan 1 Smith with the faintest of edges through to Prior, as Hotspot shows below. And that's tea:

OVER 50: AUS 135/5 (Smith 1*) Appeal from England! And they're reviewing it! A drive outside off from Khawaja is taken, at the third attempt by the juggling Trott, but the DRS system shows no evidence of any nick.

... but then in the same over, from the last ball...

WICKET! Khawaja c Anderson b Root 54 Root's got his man at the second attempt! The kid is a rock star! The part-timer with a beautiful delivery that drifts in to off stump, turns, and finds the edge of Khawaja's bat before floating into the hands of Anderson at gully. FOW 135/5

OVER 49: AUS 135/4 (Khawaja 54* Smith 1*) Breslad is steaming in, with England sniffing blood. He's up against some pretty obdurate batting from the lad Smith, though. Aus need another partnership and if Smith continues this mature start he could be just the man to help Khawaja, and his team, along.

OVER 48: AUS 135/4 (Khawaja 54* Smith 0*) In response to Colin's mail below, I can add my prediction to the mix: this game is going to a fifth day.

WICKET! Clarke 51 c Cook b Root Roooooooooooooooooot! The part-timer strikes and removes the Aussie dangerman. Might have to change my prediction! Root pitched the ball to outside leg. Clarke attempted to glance it away but it strokes the face of the bat and carries to Cook at leg slip. Good shout from the skipper to put himself there. FOW 134/4

OVER 47: AUS 134/3 (Khawaja 54* Clarke 51*) Michael Clarke, who escaped a stumping earlier in the innings, raises his bat to the crowd after reaching a half-century in 79 balls.

A mail from Colin:

Finish tonight or tomorrow? The only outstanding question for this match, I think. I'd say 3:1 against there being any Monday activity at the home of cricket.

OVER 46: AUS 127/3 (Khawaja 54* Clarke 44*) Big appeal from England! Could Root have Khawaja caught? No, no he could not. Replays show the ball going nowhere near the edge of the bat. It just turned a lot. Like, a heck of a lot. Poor delivery from Root later on in the over is despatched to the ropes for four and well done to Ian Bell, who manages to duck out of the way of the ball, avoiding a deeply unpleasant bruised back in the process.

OVER 45: AUS 121/3 (Khawaja 50* Clarke 43*) Beefy is laying into Cook's tactics. He thinks England should have had a bowl last night and failing that should have had a go this morning when the clouds were out. "I'd have been in the captain's ear yesterday evening," he says. Of that I have no doubt. Just the one run from Clarke in that uneventful Anderson over.

A mail from tone blank:

Wouldn't it be wholesomely test-matchy to see a long stand, a couple of quickies, another stand get underway, and Australia go into Monday on 398 for six. For example. Are there any treatments for cricket romanticism?

OVER 44: AUS 121/3 (Khawaja 50* Clarke 42*) Alastair Cook has called on L'il Joe Root for a little bit of part-time spin. Can his introduction catch the settled Aussie pair off-guard? Not Khawaja, anyway, he flicks Root's second ball off the pads and through midwicket for the two runs that bring up the half-century. Well done, Usman. Here's his wagonwheel:

OVER 43: AUS 119/3 (Khawaja 48* Clarke 42*) We're entering landmark territory here with both batsmen well poised for a half-century. Khawaja takes an early lead in the race to 50 when he sends Anderson's second ball through the gap at midwicket for four.

A mail from Marc:

You could never see Cook running with scissors could you? Whereas Swann, fond of a good swig by his own admission, would probably spurn the scissors and demand several XXL chainsaws before said running

OVER 42: AUS 114/3 (Khawaja 43* Clarke 42*) Brief hint of turn from Swann gets Prior excited but his confidence is misplaced as next ball Clarke puts his dancing feet to good us by dashing down the ground and sending the ball to the ropes for four. Prior really likes the look of Swann's fifth ball "loving that s---" he tells the spinner but the last delivery of that over is pulled away over square leg by Khawaja for three runs.

OVER 41: AUS 106/3 (Khawaja 40* Clarke 37*) Right. A bit of Anderson for the Australians to contend with. What has England's match-winner got for us? A match-winning spell? No sign of it yet. A decent over from Anderson and once again there's just a single from Clarke for the Aussies.

OVER 40: AUS 105/3 (Khawaja 40* Clarke 36*) Afternoon all. Pearce here. This match has started to get a bit frustrating from an English persepctive, hasn't it? The Australian batting is meant to crumble at this stage. Pretty tight over from Swann, nevertheless, and he restricts the Aussie pair to a measly Clarke single.

OVER 39: AUS 104/3 (Khawaja 40* Clarke 35*) Anderson sending the ball across and wide of Usman, trying to set him up for the nip-backer. Good over, nicely played. That's drinks - and I am going to leave you to the tender mercies of Nick Pearce for an hour or so. A bientot.

OVER 38: AUS 103/3 (Khawaja 40* Clarke 34*) Khawaja not looking fully confident against Swann, and indeed why would he? Fishes at one but he's battling hard and gets himself a two with a back-foot drive.

Glenn McGrath: "Really enjoyed ringing the bell at Lords for start of play today. It was a nice honour. Since then today's been a lot tougher."

OVER 37: AUS 101/3 (Khawaja 38* Clarke 34*) Anderson covering the ball as he runs in. Gets it to bend back into Clarke, surprising the Aussie skipper, nearly squeezing it through his defences. Rare poor ball from Jimmy is cracked to the point boundary by Pup to bring up the 100.

OVER 36: AUS 97/3 (Khawaja 38* Clarke 30*) Usman plays through the covers off the back foot for a couple. Go on lad, well batted. Stick at it. Swann rips the ball out of the rough and it turns savagely.

OVER 35: AUS 95/3 (Khawaja 36* Clarke 30*) England have been working like billy-o on that ball, and obviously feel that it has started to reverse. Sure enough, here comes James Anderson for a spell. It's definitely shaping in, not dramatically, but some inswing. Clarke neatly guides the ball through the slip area for four.

OVER 34: AUS 91/3 (Khawaja 36* Clarke 26*) Clarke has succeeded in his efforts to have Cook, never a man to be undercautious, move his mid on back a bit. Single to Clarke. That gives England five balls at Usman, Swann fizzing it past his edge.

OVER 33: AUS 90/3 (Khawaja 36* Clarke 25*) Broad, around the wicket to Khawaja. Maiden. Another over survived, probably only about 140 more to go.

OVER 32: AUS 90/3 (Khawaja 36* Clarke 25*) Good duel, this, between Swann - the best spin bowler in the world, with respect to Saeed Ajmal - and Clarke, who is among the very best players of spin. Clarke uses the feet to launch Swann down the ground, hoping to force Cook to move his mid on back and thus open up the chance of a single. Swann comes back at him with a vicious ball that rips back in and keeps low.

Peter Rowntree: "Difficult to see how Australia get back in this series if they go 2-0 down, and after the hammering their attack got yesterday at the hands of Joe Root and the manificent Ian Bell. There is a longer interval until the next Test, possibly 10 days but even so morale will be at an all time low. So what´s in the rest of the series for England? They will want to see more of their top 6 make big runs, not just Bell and Root. Above all, they will want to see their opening pair produce more productive opening partnerships."

OVER 31: AUS 86/3 (Khawaja 36* Clarke 21*) Broad in good fettle at the Pavilion End, running in hard and giving Clarke some unplesant short stuff in this over. Clarke is hit on the upper arm trying to turn away from a bouncer, and now bang square on the team crest of his helmet. Off the fourth short ball of the over, he flails at a pull shot, not convincing. Plenty to said for this tactic from England, although surely they might as well get a short leg in? Anyhow, that pull goes for one - and this pair have put on a battling 50 partnership.

OVER 30: AUS 85/3 (Khawaja 36* Clarke 20*) Ooh, big turn from Swann, so much so that it fizzes past Usman's edge to Trott at slip. That one went! Just a single off the over.

<noframe>Twitter: Paul Hayward - Dilemma for Australia: ring the old boys (Hussey, Katich) or allow this side to be mown down? Political issues with Clarke, but help needed.</noframe>

OVER 29: AUS 84/3 (Khawaja 36* Clarke 19*) Broad's just checking to see if Khawaja really can pull the ball, and it seems that he really can. Another crunchy shot to the boundary.

OVER 28: AUS 80/3 (Khawaja 32* Clarke 19*) Not such a good over from Swann, a full toss and a half volley, and Usman gets a two and a three. Dunno if England overdid it on the roast dinner, or if they are just (understandably) coasting a tiny bit, but they haven't bowled quite so well since the interval.

OVER 27: AUS 75/3 (Khawaja 27* Clarke 19*) Some encouraging signs for the Aussies after lunch, Khawaja pulling Broad meatily for four and generally looking a bit more confident. Broad hits Clarke on the thigh pad with an inswinger, the appeal is aborted on grounds of height. Not playing a shot.

Graeme says:"Hi Alan, just came in from the garden and couldn't believe the score. Afraid to go out again in case they are all out before I come in next and I miss the fun." Ken Andrew says: "Afternoon Tyers old chap. Steven Warner's escape goat. Has it gone Walkabout?"

Ben Sole mailed this during the lunch interval. "Australian tv coverage now showing highlights from lords 2005 and 1993. Little commentary on the match. Even they have given up on this one."

OVER 26: AUS 70/3 (Khawaja 22* Clarke 19*) Better from Khawaja. He turns the ball into the midwicket region, earning himself three runs and, perhaps more significantly, a respite from facing Swann. It's a lovely day at Lord's now; the early cloud burned away by the sun.

OVER 25: AUS 67/3 (Khawaja 19* Clarke 19*) Good short ball from Broad, right into Clarke's ribs. Clarke gets a couple off the pads.

OVER 24: AUS 65/3 (Khawaja 19* Clarke 17*) Moment of drama for England as Graeme Swann is (accidentally, I think) decked by Khawaja as he bumps into the spinner while running between the wickets. Swann takes a dive that Cristiano Ronaldo would be proud of, before dusting himself off and getting on with. Then, next ball, Clarke lobs a shot into the air. It hangs for an age but no fielder is there to claim it. He repeats the trick with another less than assured shot but once again it's away from any would-be catchers.

OVER 23: AUS 58/3 (Khawaja 18* Clarke 11*) The Aussies begin the second session with a rare spell of run scoring. Khawaja first edges past third man for four runs, later treating a bit of short dross from Broad with the respect it deserves. Confident start from the young Australian after lunch.

It was pay-back time on Sunday morning at Lord's. On so many occasions in the last 20 years England's batsmen have been caught by Shane Warne on a turning pitch, facing unfeasible targets like 500 to win.

This time it was pay-back. Australia were set 583 to win, following Alastair Cook's declaration after 4.1 more overs of batting, and Graeme Swann had them on toast.

13.15 Here is the menu for the players' lunch at Lord's, courtesy of the @HomeOfCricket twitter account. It all looks delicious. They took the rabbit off the menu, out of consideration for our Aussie guests. Bong!

LUNCH: Australia 48/3 (Khawaja 8* Clarke 11*) needing 535 to win The crowd were denied a Joe Root century, England adding just 14 runs this morning in as many minutes batting for the loss of Root and Bairstow, but it was really only of cosmetic concern. They were able to set Australia a notional, laughable 583 to win. And the familiar agony started up almost right away for Oz: Watson lbw playing around the front pad, Swann beasting a couple of left-handers and really the only significant question now is" "when" England will win this Test.

Chris Newey: "Dear me, this is like Dunkirque only with the Aussies playing the British Army and the English playing the Wermacht and Luftwaffe " I don't see a heroic rearguard/escape here, I have to say.

Stephen Nelson: "Hi Alan, There were many mutterings yesterday afternoon about slow play, perhaps from those modernistas who have little understanding of the subtle nuances of Test cricket, and would prefer to study paint drying instead. I remember watching Geoffrey Boycott bat in the 1964 Ashes when he was only 2 years older than young Joe Root: now Boycs was a man who really did know how to occupy a crease. Boycs had a cast-iron ritual for every ball of every over: (1) adjust glasses, (2) minutely survey every field placement, (3) readjust glasses, (4) take guard. I suspect the modernistas prefer to watch the wild flailing of 20/20, which owes more to baseball than it does to cricket, rather than the studied poetry of proper Test batsmanship that young Root treated us to on his way to that magnificent 180. A delight to watch; well done lad and welcome to a long and illustrious career in Test cricket."

Marc Melander has a toast for absent friends: "How can you possibly have Finn' and 'dangerous' in the same sentence after Trent Bridge (over 19)? Only the TMS fogies have seen more pies."

OVER 22: AUS 48/3 (Khawaja 8* Clarke 11*) Just one off the Swann over, bit of a delay when the ball slips out of his hand in the run-up. That's lunch.

OVER 21: AUS 47/3 (Khawaja 7* Clarke 11*) Bresnan angling the ball into Clarke. The Aussie captain flicks through midwicekt for two and then slides the ball off the face, picking up a two through backward point. Is Clarke batting too low at five? I mean, I know about his sensational record at five. But if the top order is this flaky, he is coming in with the innings already in disarray.

OVER 20: AUS 43/3 (Khawaja 7* Clarke 7*) Clarke comes a long way forward to manufacture a full toss, driving it through the offside for four. Takes a single. Usman K does well enough for the rest of the Swann over.

"Aussies all-out for less than 100, Ponting drafted in for third Test?" speculates Colin Whiting. "I wonder just how bad the Aussie batting would have to get before they called on Punter for a last hurrah. Less than a hundred this innings, I reckon. Then, after the Third...who do they play? Bring over the A-Squad batsmen for experience? 'Cos this is not exactly a development squad, Rogers, Hughes and co."

OVER 19: AUS 38/3 (Khawaja 7* Clarke 2*) Bresnan trying to tempt Usman in this over, slightly wider line. Yet another maiden. Khawaja's patience hasn't snapped just yet. Four maidens in for overs for Bres. He might not be, man-for-man, as dangerous a bowler as Finn, but if you want a guy to do a job for the team and keep the pressure on while Swann and Anderson atttack from the other, then he's your guy.

OVER 18: AUS 38/3 (Khawaja 7* Clarke 2*) Ooh, Michael Clarke! Down the pitch, misses a straight one from Swann but Prior has missed the stumping! Oh dear. That was a huge chance, Clarke was out by a street.

OVER 17: AUS 38/3 (Khawaja 7* Clarke 2*) Bresnan doing an admirable job from the other end. Sticks one up Khawaja's nose, that seemed to rear from a length. Now he beats him outside off a couple of times. Three overs, three maidens for Bresnan.

OVER 16: AUS 38/3 (Khawaja 7* Clarke 2*) That is an absolutely classic example of an off-spinner's leg before decision to a left-hander that you would never have got prior to DRS. The ball didn't really straighten, it just went down the angle of Swann's arm and, in days gone by, an umpire would have said "sliding past leg". Not these days though. I'm not saying Swann isn't a superb bowler, but he more than any other bowler I can think of has benefitted from a) the DRS and b) the amount of top-order left-handers in this era. Clarke comes in. I'd say that so much depends on him, but I don't think it really matters even if he ges 300. Turns his first ball away for two.

WICKET! Hughes lbw Swann 1 Oh good grief. What do you say about that? Swann angles the ball in from around the wicket, Hughes prods forward and is hit on the pad. Umpire Dharmaandgreg has a think and raises his finger. Hughes decides to review. Well, he hasn't hit it. And the ball is going on to hit leg stump. Umpire's call, in fairness, but hitting nonetheless. FOW 36/3

Rob Riches: "Running the lead up to 582 against this frail and fractured Aussie team is IMO totally taking the pizza. Cynical me thinks it was ordained as a way of extending the match to at least 4 days for revenue purposes. Can’t have too many short Tests can we?" Well, in fairness, England could not have been expected to declare yesterday. At the start of the day they were 31/3 leading by 264, and they only managed 140 in the first two sessions. But yeah, I take the general point: I am sure the Lord's folk were not too sorry to see England bat on today.

OVER 15: AUS 35/2 (Khawaja 6* Hughes 1*) Another over of Swann for Hughes to deal with. He gets off the mark from the last ball of the over, that's the 13th he has faced.

OVER 14: AUS 34/2 (Khawaja 6* Hughes 0*) Australia's biggest defeat in the fourth innings of a match - ie not counting defeats by an innings - was the 675 runs they lost by to England in 1928 at Brisbane. So that's safe. They were beaten by a punchy 408 runs at Adelaide in 1980, by the Windies. Anyway. Bresnan repalces James Anderson and bowls a maiden. Big inside edge from Usman K.

OVER 13: AUS 34/2 (Khawaja 6* Hughes 0*) Swann warming to his work with two under-pressure left-handers to bother. He rips one out of the footmarks, a genuinely alarming sight for Phil Hughes, and indeed for Matt Prior, who cannot adjust in time. Two byes off Prior's gloves. Four men plus Prior around the bat, Swann turning it sharply.

<noframe>Twitter: Derek Pringle - Rogers donated his wicket watching fifth ball from Swann on to his off-stump. The power of turning first one sharply out of the rough</noframe>

OVER 11: AUS 32/2 (Khawaja 6* Hughes 0*) A wicket maiden to start with for Swanny. Hughes has four men around the bat for company as he survives the last ball of the over.

WICKET! Rogers b Swann 6 Oh, Chris! Swanny has done it in his first over yet again. From the Nursery End, he gets a ball to spin sharply out of the footholds, second delivery of the over. That's obviously in Rogers' mind, as he leaves the fifth ball of the over, but it's the arm-ball, it just drives straight on down the same line and crashes into off stump, poor Chris Rogers is left looking very foolish indeed.

Chris Rogers failed to spot, and left, this arm ball from Swann

OVER 10: AUS 32/1 (Rogers 6* Khawaja 6*) Nice shot from Khawaja, flicking Anderson off the pads for four. But with two left-handers in the attack, surely it cannot be long until we see G Swann?

12.10 Your latest news from the Cricket Australia clown college. You'll remember yesterday's social media disaster, in which an expletive-ridden tweet was sent from the Cricket Australia twitter account questioning an umpiring decision? Well, another day, another tantrum... This time, it is Steve Warner, brother of David, havinga potty-mouthed pop at Shane Watson.

OVER 8: AUS 26/1 (Rogers 5* Khawaja 1*) Two off the Broad over. Rogers looks like he means business. As a Middx fan, I'd like to see him show the world what he can do here. Excellent player and seems like a good guy.

Elaine Simpson-Long, our complaining about Andrew Strauss correspondent, writes: "Sorry to go on about Andrew Strauss but he really is pretty dire as a commentator. Apart from having a voice that would empty a pub he is cliche ridden. In the last ten minutes we have had 'thinking outside the box', 'needs guys to step up to the plate', 'backs to the wall' and 'putting his hand up'. I look forward to more - not." I have to say, I disagree. Think he is making a good start to his new career; I am enjoying the insights of an anlayst who was, until very recently, actually leading this exact team.

<noframe>Twitter: Derek Pringle - Watson out lbw and doesn't review, is that the sound of cheering from Aussie dressing-room?</noframe>

OVER 7: AUS 24/1 (Rogers 4* Khawaja 0*) Australia's walking wicket, Usman Khawaja, walks to the wicket. Defends a couple okay. The ball before his dismissal, Shane Watson had planted his foot and driven a meaty drive through the offside for four.

WICKET! Watson lbw Anderson 20 Classic Anderson! Classic Watto! Good full ball, swings it back into Shane Watson, who plants the big front pad, plays around it, and is pinned right in front. Marais Erasmus slowly raises the finger, and - the one saving grace for Watson - he does not review. FOW 24/1

OVER 6: AUS 20/0 (Watson 16* Rogers 4*) Broad slides a cracking ball across Rogers's bows. Rogers looking to work the ball from off to leg, gets a single doing just that in this over. By the way, Pietersen is not on the field, he will play no further part in the Test due to his calf injury.

Justin: "Clarke should send Haddin in to open dropping watto to 7 who will assess the situation then do exactly what he always does."

OVER 5: AUS 18/0 (Watson 16* Rogers 2*) England have obviously got their plan to Watson, bowl at him straight and get him lbw with the inswinger. And why not? It's worked in pretty much every Test innings the bloke has ever played. But fair play to Watto, he manages to play straight in this over, not around the pad, and when Anderson gets too legside, he turns the ball for four into the vaccant fine leg region. Also gets a couple through point.

OVER 4: AUS 12/0 (Watson 10* Rogers 2*) Bit of width, Watson cuts. Half-save by Bell in the gully, Bairstow tidies at backward point. Risky from Watson. Rogers ducks a sharp bouncer from Broad. Now he draws the bat back just in time outside off and then gets off the mark with a nice push for a couple.

OVER 2: AUS 8/0 (Watson 8* Rogers 0*) Stuart Broad shares the new ball. He needs one wicket for 200 in Tests. Watson can leave the first two, too wide. The third ball goes through the top of the surface, slows and pops on Watson, who spoons it up in the air. The ball flies like a nine iron, chipping over mid off. Encouraging for England. Rogers solid as he defends two and leaves one.

OVER 1: AUS 5/0 (Watson 5* Rogers 0*) Jimmy's got the outswinger working straight away. He finds the edge of Watson's bat second ball, but he played it quite gently and the ball is always heading downwards as it flies past gully's dive for four. The target now a much more realistic 579. Watson's beaten fourth ball by a snorter, fizzing past the outside edge. Wait for it, Watto, wait for it.... Here it is! The inswinger. Thick inside edge clumps away for a single to square leg. Anderson's got a straight silly mid on to keep Watson thinking about the straight ball, crashing into that big front pad. Rogers faces up the last ball of the over, Anderson comes around the wicket. He defends it late, and well. Good first over.

Stephen: "Morning Alan, Well here we go then. Best part of 2 full days, wonderful weather, with only 583 needed. And going by Warnie's recent pronouncements it should be a doddle."

11.23 Here comes James Anderson...

11.20 Be that as it may, the Aussies are out there now. Here come Watson and Rogers. What a mountain they have to climb. One delivery from Agar this morning spat so much that Haddin took it at chest height.

11.18 Shane Warne suggests he would have told Smith to drop it, because the idea was to keep England out there for as long as possible! If it had taken Root an hour to get his double century, then that's one less hour England would have had to bat.

11.13 Cook has seen enough and England declare on 349/7. The morning has gone as well as Australia can have reasonably expected, England only added 16, for the loss of two wickets, and it means that the battling Baggy Greens have to make a mere 583 runs to win.

WICKET! Root c Smith b Harris 180 No double, then. Root gets down to the first ball of the over and plays an outrageous Dilscoop shot, ramping the ball over the keeper but sadly down the throat of third man. He's caught and a wonderful innings comes to an end. FOW 349/7

OVER 114: ENG 349/6 (Root 180* Prior 1*) Argh, poor Ashton. Prior dollies the ball back at him but he drops it. Just four in the over, four byes as Haddin misses it down leg. One ball span viciously and climbed.

OVER 113: ENG 345/6 (Root 180* Prior 1*) No sign of the declaration then. Prior survives one and then takes a single off the last ball of the over. If England are trying to get Root to his double, they need to get him on strike more than they have so far. Early days, obviously.

WICKET! Bairstow c Haddin b Harris 20 Ah, well that's something for the Aussies. Bairstow tries to force it off the back foot through the offside, but the ball is too close to him, and that takes the top edge of his crooked bat to fly through to Haddin for a regulation chance. FOW 344/6

OVER 112: ENG 344/5 (Root 180* Bairstow 20*) Ashton Agar to bowl. Seventh ball of the day and Michael Clarke is already looking disgusted. The reason? He'd set the field to save one and keep Bairstow on strike, but Watson at square leg wasn't in the wide awake club and they take one. Oh dear oh dear. Root also gets a single, and now Bairstow dances down the pitch and lofts Agar back over his head for six. Bairstow now slog-sweeps, he's looking to get on with it.

Marc Melander: "I appreciate Mr Warne has a paid job to do he cannot be serious? 'There are some very talented guys in the Australian team with an opportunity for a long career in front of them.' A 'long career' as what Warney ? Certainly not test cricketers. In other news Michael Clarke has confessed to thinking the DRS was the similar to the DRS used in F1 - in which of course you get a go every lap."

OVER 111: ENG 335/5 (Root 179* Bairstow 12*) Low-key start. Defensive fields to Root, more attacking to Bairstow. Aussies not taking the new ball. A single to each batsman.

10.58 As yesterday, we are starting before 11am. Here comes Harris to Root. It looks a nice morning for a bowl.

10.56 It's quite murky at Lord's. Root and Bairstow come out. Ryan Harris looks like he is the lucky man who will open the bowling. A few of the Aussie fielders are in sweaters.

10.55 Seems to me that it's just a case of how much England want Root to get a double, and how much they want to knacker out the Aussie bowlers. Who is ringing the bell? It's GD McGrath!

10.45 So it looks like England will give Joe Root a chance to get that double. He resumes on 178*. J Bairstow is 11*. Hey, there's been some super stuff on Sky Sports 2 (The Ashes) this morning, with Strauss and Atherton explaining the unique challenges facing opening batsmen. A perfect blend of personal anecdote, techincal discussion and the use of technolgoy to highlight points. The cricket coverage is just lightyears ahead of the football, isn't it? Even if you really know a lot about cricket and watch a lot of it, you can still learn things from the ex-pro experts. And how often can you say that about football TV coverage?

<noframe>Twitter: Lord's Ground - Joe Root has been spotted padding up in the changing rooms - England to bat again this morning. <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=Ashes" target="_blank">#Ashes</a></noframe>

Graeme Whittaker writes: "Good morning Alan, nice to have you back in the hot seat. Overcast here and some rain overnight so it would be a pity if we gave the Aussies the possibility of a draw through rain tomorrow. They have never beaten us when set a target of more than 404 so I think we should give young Joe a chance to get his double ton and Jonny his fifty or as soon as we reach 600 ahead should they get out earlier. Looking forward to your blog in between, sadly, doing some gardening." Hmm, that's a bit of a dilemma, isn't it? Presumably if it rains, you're excused gardening detail?

10.35 Ha! Here's fun. Steven Warner, brother of David, has kept the family end up by attacking Shane Watson on Twitter. For the second day in a row, and the second time ever to my knowledge, your Daily Telegraph cricket live blog now invites you to take a look at the foul-mouthed tirade by clickingon this link. NOTE: BAD LANGUAGE ADVISORY.

In summary, Warner's brother has had a massive pop at Shane Watson, calling him "selfish" and "a great pretender." This is all excellent work. But for me, the topper is Steve-o's assessment that Mickey Arthur has been "made an escape goat."

10.31 To today, then. Joe Root has been in the nets this morning but has also done some slip catching, as England seek to keep the Aussies guessing as to whether they will bat on or not.

10.28 And Paul was not the only one of our Lord's observers who was impressed with Joe Root yesterday. Our analyst, Simon Hughes, notes that Saturday's century was a triumph not just for Root, but for the selectors as well.

This is shaping into an annus mirabilis for Joe Root. The England selectors made a big call when they plumped for him to open the batting in the Ashes. Nick Compton was the man in possession and had certainly not let England down, with two determined centuries in New Zealand and some other painstaking efforts.

But selectors are paid to have hunches and they could see the unravelling of one man and the unveiling of another. He repaid that decision with a special innings yesterday.

There were few moments when you doubted that he would become the first Yorkshireman to make a hundred at Lord’s against Australia since our own Geoff Boycott in 1980.

10.20 Leaving our unfortunate Antipodean cousins for a while, how about that Joe Root then? What a day he had yesterday. Watchful at first as he and fellow Yorkshireman Tim Bresnan blunted any last remaining threat from the Aussie seamers, and then gloriously destructive in the evening. Here is Paul Hayward, who says "a major star is born".

Root has been delivered to English Test cricket via a marketing director’s dream. He is a northern bridge to the next generation. His is the world of cheery mass communication. His face radiates youth and optimism. But it would all be hollow without the batting, without the runs.

10.15 Warne, incidentally, says "the stuff about an alleged bad relationship between Watson and Clarke is rubbish."

This match is now a test of character for Australia’s batsmen. There are some very talented guys in the Australian team with an opportunity for a long career in front of them. Cricket is a performance-based game and crickey, the time to perform is right now. It is still a good pitch. Yes, it will turn, yes there will be reverse swing in the second innings but it is not a minefield. They cannot afford to lose at Lord’s and go down 2-0.

10.05 Far more likely that, is that Australia's shell-shocked batting will crumble on a dry, turning pitch. Here, Sunday Telegraph cricket correspondent Steve James pokes through the wreckage of the Aussie team.

Yesterday may be the day on which England finally settled themselves away from the baffling freneticism that has characterised too much of the play in this series, and also the day on which the Australians realised that there is simply no way back this summer.

Yes, it was the fault of the visitors’ batsmen’s abject collapse on Friday, but it was the bowlers who were suffering now. And both departments could be scarred for the series. For instance, the longer the heavy-boned Ryan Harris was in the field, the shorter, you sensed, his series would be.

10.02 It is a cloudy day here in London, mild. About 63 degrees at the moment, but that will rise to the high seventies later. Tomorrow's forecast is for serious heat and humidity: 88 degrees and a possible chance of some thundery showers mid-afternoon. Maybe, just maybe, Australia can somehow hold out until then and then pray for rain? It all feels highly unlikely.

Sunday's weather from the BBC

Monday's weather from the BBC

10.00 Good morning all and welcome to our live blog of Lord's day four. So: Australia, then. Any hope? Can they restrict England's scoring, bat like their lives depend on it for five sessions and somehow escape with a glorious draw? Probably not. But one man, at least, thinks that they can:

<noframe>Twitter: David Warner - A couple of wickets required this morning for the boys. Then it's time to bat long. <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=returntheurn" target="_blank">#returntheurn</a></noframe>